There are lots of books out there that everyone has read. There are others which are slightly less known, but that are written by some of the best practitioners in the world.

Like many people who read Inc., I’m always searching for new books that give me an edge that inspire me. I’m looking for “quake” books that shift my perspective and change my approach.

Dan Sullivan, the founder of Strategic Coach, has a really powerful definition for learning. He says that learning is the ability to produce a result. If you can’t produce a specific result and replicate that result, you haven’t learned.

That fits really well with a definition of learning I’ve had for a few years: that learning is a permanent change in your cognition and behavior. Put another way, learning requires a permanent change in how you see and operate in the world.

If the change isn’t permanent, then it wasn’t true learning.

A lot of people seeking learning in the form of information. They don’t seek experiential and transformational learning. Learning from books is clearly a powerful tool, one that nearly all successful people recommend.

Yet, the most successful people in the world– those people in whom Kevin Harrington calls, “Exponential Thinkers”– are the ones who quickly gather data and then develop new theory. Rather than spending lots of time gathering theory in order to then get data.

The reason I like both of these books is because they are highly practical. More than that, I know that both of the authors are practitioners of their wisdom. These books are different from most books because they’ll actually challenge you to get off the coach and start producing new results.

Jody Williamson is Managing Director of the Chicago/Northbrook offices of Sandler Training, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest salesman in the country. This book is a very unique and highly conscious book on selling. Williamson teaches his employees that they must intrinsically believe they are independently wealthy, and that they don’t ever NEED any particular prospect.

When you truly believe and know you are fine and secure without THIS relationship or THIS opportunity, then you can act honestly and genuinely.You won’t come off desperate. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll keep going. Life is fine. Ironically, this is also how to get into flow, be present, and perform at your highest level.

Only in this way will you attract the opportunities and relationships that resonate with the person you intend to become.

The Contrarian Salesperson will teach you exactly how to have a powerful inner-compass. It will teach you how to develop a profound INTERNAL security.

Security is the greatest human need. Yet, security should be internal. Even when things are falling apart externally, you need to be willing to trust yourself. Of course you need good friends to help and support you. But until your security is internal, you’ll never be able to be fully honest in your relationships in the first place.

You’ll be tossed to and fro with every external situation around you.

You can’t actually give genuine service or gifts if you’re desperately needing approval from others. Because anything you give to them is really to gain something for yourself — approval. It’s desperate and unhealthy.

Beyond giving you the internal security and stability to no longer care what others are thinking about you, the book has tons of strategic advice about how to not only make more money, but just be a good person.

This book will teach you how to create rare and life-changing experiences. That’s exactly what Steve Sims does.

According to Sims himself, “I make the amazing, possible.” What that looks like in the real world is giving his wealthy clients seemingly impossible experiences. For example, he’s taken his clients underwater to see the actual Titanic. He once closed a museum so a client could eat dinner at the feet of Michelangelo’s David while being serenaded by Andrea Bocelli.

This book will teach you how to connect with anyone. Anyone….

According to Sims, the best way to reach people in a compelling way is through “messy” communication. Don’t send emails or texts.

Send postcards written in your own sloppy handwriting. Send video emails with yourself talking. Don’t try to be fancy. Just be real and authentic. People will appreciate that, as they get plenty of requests in the traditional manner.

According to Sims, email is the absolute worst way to communicate and get results. It’s played out. In the future, email will be the last thing that works, simply because it’s the most popular thing. If it’s popular, it’s wrong.

According to Sims, if the answer to any request is “no,” you just need to change the question. Once you get the right question, the answer will go from “no” to “yes.”

If you want to connect, collaborate, or get mentored by anyone, read this book.

Conclusion

There are lots of books out there that everyone has read. There are others which are slightly less known, but that are written by some of the best practitioners in the world.

These two books are written by practitioners. Williamson is one of the best salesmen in the country. And Sims creates life changing experiences for extremely rare clients.